June 1, 2011 — Drexel's College of Arts & Sciences and Westphal College have organized a celebration highlighting poetry, jazz, hip-hop and spoken word—pillars of African American culture. The highlight of the evening will be new work by award-winning poet Sonia Sanchez. Sanchez, a Philadelphia native, has authored over a dozen books of poetry, served as professor of poetry at eight universities, and lectured nationally and internationally on Black culture and literacy. Her new work for this event was inspired by the art of Kara Walker and Yinka Shonibare, whose work will be projected during Sanchez's poetry reading.
Walker is a critically-acclaimed painter and printmaking artist who exhibits worldwide. Shonibare, an English painter, sculptor and photographer, explores the issues of race and class in contemporary society. Philadelphia Weekly staff writer Tara Murtha will moderate a discussion.

Sanchez will be joined on stage for discussion and performances by several poets, musicians, artists and academics including jazz artists Evan Solot and Odean Pope; poet and rap artist Ursula Rucker; Latin musicians Ray and Marie Taylor; Black activist and owner of Philadelphia's Robin's bookstore (110 S. 13th St.) Larry Robins; and Professor James Spady, author of 360 Degreez of Sonia Sanchez: Hip Hop, Narrativity, Iqhawe and Public Spaces of Being (2000). The evening also features Drexel music professor and ethnomusicologist, Dr. George Starks, performing with the George Starks Jazz Quartet. Also performing is MAD Dragon recording artist Kuf Knotz, who has been at the center of Philadelphia's hip-hop scene for nearly a decade and is releasing the Deluxe CD Edition of his album, Boombox Logic, Sunday June 5th, on Drexel University's student-run record label, MAD Dragon Records.